Apologetics

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[The Scribes and Pharisees] said to [Jesus], “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act”…[Jesus] raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first”…Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one…When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” – John 8:4,7,9-11

This timeless and unequivocal passage has proven, throughout the centuries of the post-Crucifixion world, to be a treasure trove of personal and philosophical inspiration. These words expertly articulate our Lord’s expectations in our own treatment of fellow sinners, while simultaneously displaying for us a touching example of the Messiah’s insurmountable love of fallen man. In all the varied books of Scripture, few samples could be identified which surpass this recounted tale in the sheer level of hope or degree of comfort to be gleaned by the wayward and searching Believer. This hope, however, is not wholly without price or responsibility; rather, it is a hope borne of the ultimate sacrifice and sustained by the inspired, righteous conviction of those of us who would claim it. Just as the one and only Savior of mankind bore a cross of shame and painful death, so too must we bear the cross of our salvation1; a cross humbly defined when the very Author of human redemption says, “Go and sin no more.”

Unfortunately, this seemingly simple and straightforward message has been complicated by a plethora of contradictory voices within the community of Believers; voices that incomprehensibly corrupt the demand of a disciplined and servile faith as found throughout the Word of God with a feel-good picture of post-salvation faith as free from personal accountability of any kind.2 These voices have conducted such a successful decades long usurpation of the righteous decrees of Holy Scripture in the western world that they have since united to become tragically mainstream. For when the Lord Jesus says, “Go and sin no more,” the churches of the postmodern world say, “Go and behave in whatever way pleases you.” The uninspired words of the blasphemously enigmatic theologian, William Barclay, deftly exemplify this dangerously self-exonerating position:

“But in one thing, I would go beyond strict orthodoxy - I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in the end all men will be gathered into the love of God.”3

Although the atoning blood of Christ did indeed discontinue the Divine mandate of certain compulsory practices with regard to the redemptive work, such as animal sacrifice and Temple worship, it did not eradicate nor demoralize the inspired and lawful maxims of Holy Scripture. After all, it was Christ Jesus Himself who stated plainly and non-metaphorically, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”4 The postmodern church, however, would describe the Old Testament that our Lord here defends and upholds as a book of merely Jewish laws and Jewish standards. The rapid ethical breakdown and rampant immorality of the very western society which articulates and popularizes this liberally tinged theology is itself a solemn rebuke to such arrogant contradiction. The Holy Word offers further reprimand in an aptly damning admonition to this blinding folly of convenience:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The inexcusable foolishness in hiding behind the veil of a Gentile birth while placing the full burden of God’s righteous commands upon the backs of our Hebrew brethren cannot be overstated. The Holy Bible can in no way be arbitrarily regarded as a book of the Jew as opposed to a book of the Believer, in whole or in part, when its words become troublesome or inconvenient. The Believer’s obligatory war against sin, within and without, as presented throughout the Word of God cannot be so lightly regarded, nor so easily discarded, lest we stumble and fall in the great race for everlasting life.5 Just as the dreaded Day of Atonement6 was defined by repentant self-denial and solemnity of spirit rather than by celebratory feasting and reverie, so too must our own struggle with sin be marked; not by joyful ecstasy and haughtiness of spirit, but by solemn determination and righteous vigor.7 It is only by working out our salvation with fear and trembling8 in such a way that we may be found pleasing in the sight of our transcendent Redeemer as we follow Him into eternity; the selfsame Redeemer whose simple request is that we go and sin no more.




1 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24

“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” – Luke 14:27

2 …When asked whether he believes heaven will be closed to good Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus or secular people…Graham says: “Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have.” (Meacham, Jon. Newsweek Magazine. 14 August 2006. Excerpt from interview with Billy Graham.)

3 William Barclay: A Spiritual Autobiography. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. © 1975. Page 65.

Ultimately, William Barclay denied the inarguable truths of Holy Scripture in more than just this “one thing”. In addition to his adherence to universalist theology, Barclay denied the virgin birth of Jesus and was a believer in a naturalistic explanation for the New Testament miracles of Christ.

4 Matthew 5:17

5 1 Corinthians 9:24

6 The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is regarded as the holiest of the Biblical holy days. It is a solemn day of introspection and repentance from sin and is listed among such holy days as Passover and the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah):

“Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 23:27,28

7 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. – James 2:20-22,26

8 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure. – Philippians 2:12

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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